Saguaro
12-02-2007, 05:57 PM
A drug that could one day be used as a male birth control pill has been developed by researchers at the University of Tennessee and a Memphis-based pharmaceutical company.
The drug, dubbed C-31, has been shown to make animals temporarily infertile by stopping the production of brain hormones necessary to create sperm. Early studies show the drug to be 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy in rats, and fertility was restored when the drug was discontinued.
Though years away, the availability of such a pill could have a significant worldwide impact.
In addition to curbing overpopulation, scientists, sociologists and lay people speculate that a male birth control pill could have far-reaching societal implications here in America, including taking the burden of family planning off of women and reducing the number of unwanted children and unpaid child-support payments.
"It's a lifestyle choice in America, but in some parts of the world, it could be a way to handle overpopulation," said Dr. Jim Dalton, vice president of preclinical research and development at GTx, the Memphis-based company. "The National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization are very interested in new approaches to male contraceptives."
Others wonder if the pill would have much of an impact at all because it remains to be seen whether men would take it and whether women would trust them to.
Laura Carpenter, a Vanderbilt University assistant professor of sociology, joked that hearing a man say "Don't worry, I'm on the pill," "kind of sounds like a line."
"Ultimately it's the woman that would have to deal with the pregnancy," Carpenter said, adding that women in non-committed relationships may be reluctant to trust men with the responsibility.
While no one can predict what the ripple effect would be, everyone is in agreement that such a pill would give men another, some say much needed, option.
Women have a wide array of birth control choices: pills, diaphragms, patches, injections. However, beyond abstinence, a man's primary birth control options are condoms and vasectomies. Some men complain that condoms reduce sensation during sex, and few are willing to undergo surgery.
Just like the creation of "the pill" for women, "a male birth control pill would allow men to control their own bodies," said Dr. Duane Miller, professor and chairman of the department of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
C-31 works by stopping the formation of brain hormones LH and FSH, which are necessary for sperm production.
LH and FSH are produced by the pituitary gland, which is at the base of a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. Once the gland secretes LH and FSH, the hormones travel through the body to the testes. LH and FSH stimulate testosterone in the testes, and sperm is produced.
"We do know that the drug stops sperm production," Miller said, adding that fluid is still released during ejaculation.
While the pills have been shown to be 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy in rats, testing has not been conducted in humans. Dalton said that's the next step, but he doesn't have a time frame.
"It would be three to five years before anything would be on the market, probably more," Dalton said.
Men would take the pill daily. However, for it to be fully effective, men would first have to take it for two or three months. "There's a reservoir of sperm in the testes that has to be depleted," Dalton said.
Likewise, it will take two or three months of not taking the medication for fertility to return. In the study, 83 percent of rats regained fertility 72 days after stopping treatment. By 100 days, all the rats had regained fertility.
Possible positive side effects include gained muscle and bone mass.
"You go to a more lean body type and your skeletal muscles get stronger," Dalton said.
Another side effect: Prostate shrinkage may occur. The prostate is a gland that produces fluid in semen. Miller said it's not harmful for the prostate to shrink; it's harmful when it enlarges because that can cause urinary problems.
Miller said the drug doesn't appear to affect the rats' libido. "We didn't see any inhibition in the animals," he said.
This and other research conducted by Dalton and Miller was funded by a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers have been working on the development of such a pill for 10 years.
They said it's too soon to tell whether insurance would cover a male pill.
Jeff Campbell, 36, of Nashville, said he would absolutely take the pill as long as it's proven effective and has few side effects.
"It can be seen as giving a man more control over his sexuality if he doesn't have to rely on a woman's assurances that she is taking her pill," Campbell said. "Some women can't take female birth control for health-related reasons. Speaking as a man who is dating one such woman, it would be a great boon if I had the option of taking this pill."
Carpenter, the sociologist, said women in a committed relationship are likely to benefit a lot from the male birth control pill. She noted that women on the pill often complain of weight gain, blunted libido and mood swings. There are also health risks such as blood clots, especially for women over 35 who smoke.
"What I think that it might change is who is responsible for birth control in a committed relationship," Carpenter said. "It could result in shared responsibility for family planning."
Rebecca Bria, a 28-year-old Nashville woman, said if she was in a serious relationship it would be a "welcome relief" to relinquish reproductive responsibilities to her partner.
"It would be nice not to have to remember to take the pill every day," Bria said.
However, she said the situation would be different in a casual relationship.
"If it was a random hook-up, no way," Bria said. "I'd make him wear a condom anyway because of STD issues," fear of sexually transmitted diseases.
Zev Goering, 35, of Nashville, said it would be great for men to have another birth control option, but he'd be wary taking of the medication himself.
"My general feelings are that we take too much medication and the pharmaceutical industry uses marketing to tell us it's OK," Goering said. "No man likes condoms. But, when faced with the choice of adding more chemicals into my body, it's an easy decision."
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071202/NEWS07/712020426
The drug, dubbed C-31, has been shown to make animals temporarily infertile by stopping the production of brain hormones necessary to create sperm. Early studies show the drug to be 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy in rats, and fertility was restored when the drug was discontinued.
Though years away, the availability of such a pill could have a significant worldwide impact.
In addition to curbing overpopulation, scientists, sociologists and lay people speculate that a male birth control pill could have far-reaching societal implications here in America, including taking the burden of family planning off of women and reducing the number of unwanted children and unpaid child-support payments.
"It's a lifestyle choice in America, but in some parts of the world, it could be a way to handle overpopulation," said Dr. Jim Dalton, vice president of preclinical research and development at GTx, the Memphis-based company. "The National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization are very interested in new approaches to male contraceptives."
Others wonder if the pill would have much of an impact at all because it remains to be seen whether men would take it and whether women would trust them to.
Laura Carpenter, a Vanderbilt University assistant professor of sociology, joked that hearing a man say "Don't worry, I'm on the pill," "kind of sounds like a line."
"Ultimately it's the woman that would have to deal with the pregnancy," Carpenter said, adding that women in non-committed relationships may be reluctant to trust men with the responsibility.
While no one can predict what the ripple effect would be, everyone is in agreement that such a pill would give men another, some say much needed, option.
Women have a wide array of birth control choices: pills, diaphragms, patches, injections. However, beyond abstinence, a man's primary birth control options are condoms and vasectomies. Some men complain that condoms reduce sensation during sex, and few are willing to undergo surgery.
Just like the creation of "the pill" for women, "a male birth control pill would allow men to control their own bodies," said Dr. Duane Miller, professor and chairman of the department of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
C-31 works by stopping the formation of brain hormones LH and FSH, which are necessary for sperm production.
LH and FSH are produced by the pituitary gland, which is at the base of a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. Once the gland secretes LH and FSH, the hormones travel through the body to the testes. LH and FSH stimulate testosterone in the testes, and sperm is produced.
"We do know that the drug stops sperm production," Miller said, adding that fluid is still released during ejaculation.
While the pills have been shown to be 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy in rats, testing has not been conducted in humans. Dalton said that's the next step, but he doesn't have a time frame.
"It would be three to five years before anything would be on the market, probably more," Dalton said.
Men would take the pill daily. However, for it to be fully effective, men would first have to take it for two or three months. "There's a reservoir of sperm in the testes that has to be depleted," Dalton said.
Likewise, it will take two or three months of not taking the medication for fertility to return. In the study, 83 percent of rats regained fertility 72 days after stopping treatment. By 100 days, all the rats had regained fertility.
Possible positive side effects include gained muscle and bone mass.
"You go to a more lean body type and your skeletal muscles get stronger," Dalton said.
Another side effect: Prostate shrinkage may occur. The prostate is a gland that produces fluid in semen. Miller said it's not harmful for the prostate to shrink; it's harmful when it enlarges because that can cause urinary problems.
Miller said the drug doesn't appear to affect the rats' libido. "We didn't see any inhibition in the animals," he said.
This and other research conducted by Dalton and Miller was funded by a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers have been working on the development of such a pill for 10 years.
They said it's too soon to tell whether insurance would cover a male pill.
Jeff Campbell, 36, of Nashville, said he would absolutely take the pill as long as it's proven effective and has few side effects.
"It can be seen as giving a man more control over his sexuality if he doesn't have to rely on a woman's assurances that she is taking her pill," Campbell said. "Some women can't take female birth control for health-related reasons. Speaking as a man who is dating one such woman, it would be a great boon if I had the option of taking this pill."
Carpenter, the sociologist, said women in a committed relationship are likely to benefit a lot from the male birth control pill. She noted that women on the pill often complain of weight gain, blunted libido and mood swings. There are also health risks such as blood clots, especially for women over 35 who smoke.
"What I think that it might change is who is responsible for birth control in a committed relationship," Carpenter said. "It could result in shared responsibility for family planning."
Rebecca Bria, a 28-year-old Nashville woman, said if she was in a serious relationship it would be a "welcome relief" to relinquish reproductive responsibilities to her partner.
"It would be nice not to have to remember to take the pill every day," Bria said.
However, she said the situation would be different in a casual relationship.
"If it was a random hook-up, no way," Bria said. "I'd make him wear a condom anyway because of STD issues," fear of sexually transmitted diseases.
Zev Goering, 35, of Nashville, said it would be great for men to have another birth control option, but he'd be wary taking of the medication himself.
"My general feelings are that we take too much medication and the pharmaceutical industry uses marketing to tell us it's OK," Goering said. "No man likes condoms. But, when faced with the choice of adding more chemicals into my body, it's an easy decision."
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071202/NEWS07/712020426